If your games are freezing or crashing on your Playstation 4 or Playstation 5 here in this article you can find the possible steps to resolve the issue.
First of all, in case you are wondering why your games freeze or crash on a Playstation console then there is not any exact reason for this to happen and many different factors can be behind the issue.
Games’ freezing or crashing issues come under general problems, so to deal with such a situation we have to try all kinds of workarounds that can potentially cause the issue.
What To Do If Games Are Freezing Or Crashing On PS4 and PS5?
1. Power Cycle Your Console
Many times these general issues are just a temporary glitch with your console and power cycling your console may help.
Here is how to power cycle your PlayStation console
- Tap and hold on to your PS4 console Power button until your console beeps, and completely turns off.
- Then disconnect your console power cable from the Power source.
- Then Wait for around 20 to 30 minutes.
- Then Reconnect the console to the power source.
- Then Restart your console.
2. Check If You Need To Update Your Console
Next, check if you have a pending software update for your Playstation console.
Steps to software update PS4
- Go to the Home screen.
- Choose Settings.
- Choose System Software Update.
- If there is a pending update then it will automatically download.
Steps to software update PS5
- Go to the Home screen.
- Go to the Settings.
- Choose System.
- Choose System Software.
- Choose System Software Update and Settings.
- If there is a new update available you will see that on the screen.
3. Check If You Need To Update The Game
If your console software is up to date with its latest version then check if you have a pending update for your game.
Here are the steps to check updates for games on PS4
- Visit your Game Library.
- Highlight the Game or app that you want to update.
- Press the Options button from the controller.
- Choose Check for Update.
- If there is a pending update you will see it on the screen, and you can follow the on-screen instructions to install the update.
Here are the steps to check updates for games on PS5
- Go to the Home menu.
- Visit the Game Library.
- Select the Game or app that you want to update.
- Press the Options button.
- Choose Check for Update.
- If there is a pending update you will see it on the screen.
4. Remove Any Devices Attached To The USB Slot
If the game is also up to date with its latest version then you can try removing any external attached USB devices from your console, once done check if the issue still persists.
5. Restore The License For The Game
- Go to the Home screen.
- Go to the Settings.
- Select Account Management.
- Then select Restore Licenses.
6. Check If The Game Is Fully Downloaded
If the issue is coming for the game which you just downloaded to your PlayStation console then we advise you to check if the game is fully downloaded to your console.
- Highlight your game.
- Tap the Options button.
- Select Information.
- Select Download Status.
7. Do Not Use The Game Save
In case you are using the game saves to continue with the game then try playing the game from the beginning. If the issue doesn’t show up while playing without the game save then this means the game save is corrupted.
8. Reinstall Your Game
Next, you can try to reinstall the game which is troubling you. Simply uninstall and reinstall the game and check if this helps with the issue.
Here are the steps you need to take for PS4
- Go to the Game library.
- Go to the Game which you want to uninstall, and Select it.
- Then press the Options button from the controller.
- Then choose Delete.
- Then choose OK to confirm the action.
- Once the game is uninstalled, Restart your console.
- Then Reinstall the game on your console.
- Check if the issue persists.
Here are the steps you need to take for PS5
- Go to the Home menu.
- Visit the Game Library.
- Choose the Installed tab.
- Select the Game which you want to uninstall.
- Press the Options button.
- Choose Delete.
- Choose Ok.
- Once the game is uninstalled, Restart your console.
- Then Reinstall the game on your console.
- Check if the issue persists.
9. Factory Reset Your Console
If you are done with all the above steps but still struggling with the issue then we suggest you to play other games on your console. Try playing multiple games to check if the issue is only coming with the specific game or if all the games are showing problems.
If no matter what game you are trying to play is showing the freezing and crashing issue then you may need to Factory reset your console. But in case the issue is specific to any particular game then the issue might be with the game so you should reach out to the game support.
Before Initializing your console please keep in mind that it is a process where your console reverts your system settings to default values. This process deletes the data saved on your system along with all the users and their data from the system. So make sure to back up your important data.
Here is how to Factory Reset PS4
- Go to Settings.
- Choose Initialization.
- Choose Initialize PS4.
- Then follow the on-screen options.
Here is how to Factory Reset PS5
- Go to Settings.
- Choose System.
- Choose System Software.
- Choose Reset Options.
- Now you can choose between “Clear Learning Dictionary”, “Restore Default Settings” and “Reset Your Console.”
- If you choose “Clear Learning Dictionary” it will clear the history of the terms you have typed on your console.
- If you choose “Restore Default Settings” it will revert your console settings to the default value but will not interfere with your data.
- If you choose “Reset Your Console” it will erase all of your console data and revert the console settings to the default value.
10. Contact Playstation
If you are done with everything but still having Freezing or crashing issues with your games on your Playstation console then at this point you should reach out to Playstation support to get further help.